This invention relates to a hydrofoil system for watercraft and, in particular, to a retractable hydrofoil system responsive to a change in external force applied to the hydrofoil.
The increasing interest in small watercraft for pleasure usage has lead to a number of individually-operated craft being promoted and sold for recreational usage. In addition to the advantage of being capable of being launched and operated by a single individual, the relative size of these watercraft is such that they can be placed on a trailer and towed from place to place without requiring specialized launching ramps and storage facilities. Thus, this watercraft can be utilized in a wide variety of bodies of water with essentially no limit to where it can be placed in the water.
One method of increasing the speed of such watercraft is to provide a hydrofoil system which operates in its intended manner to elevate the watercraft so that it can be propelled at high speed over the surface of the water. However, the versatility of these watercraft increase the likelihood that they will be operated in unfamiliar or uncharted shallow waters. Thus, the possibility of encountering hidden obstacles at a high rate of speed has generated the need for a hydrofoil system which is automatically released upon contacting such an obstacle. The speeds possible with these craft require that release take place without requiring an operator response.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hydrofoil system which undergoes release from its operating position upon the application of an external force to the hydrofoil or one of its support members. In addition, the retraction apparatus of the present invention is provided with means for ensuring that the operator can manually effect retraction at any time to facilitate loading onto a trailer and subsequent transport and storage.
The subject matter of the invention is designed so that the release of the hydrofoil system takes place without requiring a response from the operator. Further, the release and subsequent retraction occur for all hydrofoils to enhance the stability of the watercraft. Further, a manual retraction mechanism is provided so that the operator can complete the retraction operation without having external force applied to the hydrofoil, thus, enabling him to beach the craft with less risk of damage to the structure.